Preparing to purchase NY

[kalcypher]

I have been searching for the perfect bus to purchase, Im located near nyc and am willing to go a few hundred miles. That said, I at one point had my mind made up on a Flat Nose International with a DT466. Plan is to make a camper/van rv. Less than 15 seats.

I love the flat nose look however will consider other options, I want atleast 6ft interior and the DT466 seems to be the best engine bc Ill be making a trip to Michigan from NY this summer.

Ive found a few 2000/2001 internationals close by with DT466 they're in great shape and Ive even found a broker to inure with progressive commercial (private use)
What I can't figure out is if I will actually need a CDL to drive the International Flat nose (no seats), its GRVW is 30,000 lbs. Ive read up on others successfully registering for under 26,000 lbs and not having issues but will I have problems if I get pulled over by DOT?

Ideally I would swap for a mid sized bus, 6ft interior height and under 26,000 just to be safe and be sure i won't have issues driving across the country. Cant find any models that fit this within my budget ~$5,000 (advice on where to look or models of interest?) I understand things are different in every state though I just can't get a straight answer. I am considering getting my CDL but Ideally I would be able to ask friends to share some driving on long trips. And advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Robin97396]

SolomonEagle, do you mean you actually registered your bus as a motorhome in Oregon and were able to get it insured? Generally speaking many of us haven't been able to do that in Oregon, and that's why we have these big vans. How did you do that?

[kalcypher]

Well the bus is mine, we are on the road now.

Had to stop once bc I lost power, the battery was fried, swollen smoking and leaking. Road crew installed a new one and we were on our way, now it seems this one is about to blow.

Please help. I have to drive about 2 more hours home and the voltage + amperage meters are both way too high while driving.

Could be a voltage regulator issue? Any tips?


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[Robin97396]

You should be able to get the bus you want for between $2,500 to $5,000 easy, but not likely from a dealer.
You will need a temporary tag to drive your bus home. For private use you don't need a CDL. The police really don't want to wade through the paperwork of a bus purchase unless you do something really grusome with the bus.
Drive it like you stole it.

[Robin97396]

Yes, if you're burning up your battery it's overcharging. This is where one of the electrician types should suggest a fix.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by kalcypher

Could be a voltage regulator issue? Any tips?

Absolutely.

Your alternator is most likely internally regulated. If that's the case, a new alternator will fix the charging problem. You'll probably need to change the battery again also though.

If a service tech changed the battery and the old one was swollen, they really should've checked the voltage after getting it started back up. I'd see what I could do to get them to cover the cost of the next replacement battery.